The Final Four is here

March Madness always seems to live up to its name. The entire tournament is madness, and as it marches closer to its finale, it only gets crazier. After weeding out teams, bringing an initial 64 down to four, we find ourselves even closer to naming 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball champions.

While it has been a wild ride, this weekend set the stage for next weekend’s games. One game will see two number four ranked teams battle it out in Michigan and Syracuse, while the other will see the only remaining number one seed, Louisville, take on the bracket-breaking, number nine seeded Wichita State.

For the Louisville squad, the Final Four is no strange land. Last season, to the surprise of the NCAA, Louisville defied their rank and made a huge run that ended with a Final Four berth. This season, coming in with a pre-season rank of number two, Louisville has lived up to their potential. They won the Big East tournament and made a big claim that they deserve their number one with their win over number two-ranked Duke, and their arrival in the Final Four.

On the other end of the spectrum, Wichita State came into the season unranked, and has earned each win and ranking they have received. Though they were not favorites to make it to the tournament, and lost a few must-win games before the dance, they have looked like a strong contender for the title all of March. Upset after upset has led them to the semifinals, and with their play so far, a win over the number one ranked team wouldn't be that far fetched.

In the other semifinal game, both Michigan and Syracuse come in smoking hot after convincing wins in the Elite Eight. Both teams have won some huge match ups to stake their claim in the Final Four, and this contest is sure to not disappoint. Will Syracuse’s D be enough to end the Wolverines run that sees them in the Final Four for the first time since the early 90s?

Photo courtesy of NY Times